A Parish's Prayers Are Answered

New Catholic Church Is In A Trailer Now, But Not Forever.

September 29, 2003|By Akilah Johnson Staff Writer

Wellington — There was standing room only Sunday at St. Therese de Lisieux Catholic Church -- a large trailer scented by fresh paint -- as hundreds of parishioners packed the sanctuary to hear Bishop Gerald Barbarito say "welcome home."

"You are a growing parish, you are a moving parish, you have a future ahead of you that's a wonderful one," Barbarito said. "It's a delight as the bishop to be part of this."

Sunday was the official launch of the church's new, albeit temporary, digs. Three years ago when the parish began, about 50 families celebrated Mass at the Boys and Girls Club in Wellington. The statues and crucifix shared space with an air hockey table and pinball machines.

Since then, the parish has grown to more than 600 families and now has a place of its own.

The new 13,000-square-foot church sits on a small portion of the church's 42-acre plot on Lake Worth Road at 120th Avenue. It has worship space for about 400 people and will serve as the church's home until the permanent sanctuary is built, estimated to take up to 10 years.

"Parking is an issue already, and we've only been here two weeks," said the Rev. Louis Guerin, the founding pastor. Guerin named the parish after St. Therese, a Carmelite nun known as the "Little Flower."

Two weeks ago, "Father Lou," as parishioners affectionately call him, took her relics from his desk -- their interim home -- and placed them at a devotional shrine in the sanctuary.

Consistent with the austere devotion of its patron saint, there are no ornate crucifixes or marble altars at St. Therese. Guerin's brother, a cabinetmaker, constructed the altar from wood. The Knights of Columbus made the tabernacle, and folding chairs substitute for pews.

Looking around at the aftermath of a barbecue for more than 700 church members after Sunday's 11:30 a.m. Mass, Butch Wesley said, "Ain't it grand -- to start off small and see it grow -- the camaraderie that comes along with all of those firsts."

"I've been involved with a lot of churches, but this is the first time to be involved in a church from the ground up," said the 47-year-old Wellington resident, a former member of St. Rita Parish.

St. Therese is the response to the booming growth of Catholic faithful in western communities, particularly Wellington. It was built to help relieve the "overburdened, antiquated buildings" at St. Rita's, said Guerin. St. Rita's, also in Wellington, founded in 1979, has more than 2,800 families and more than 3,000 children in its religious education program.

In conjunction with the 1,500-seat sanctuary, Guerin wants to construct a school for children in prekindergarten through eighth grade on the premises. Then, maybe a senior citizen's home and a medical clinic for the elderly, he said.

All of this will cost about $30 million, he said. Sunday, close to $250,000 was donated for the school.

In the meantime, the church will teach children through Mass and its youth group.

"Father Lou relates [the homily] to real-life situations," said Kristina Coleman, 15, president of the youth group. "My dad shoots me looks when he says something about kids, and I look at him when he says something about parents."

Akilah Johnson can be reached at akjohnson@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6645.